Native to the Andean regions of South America, Baccharis latifolia is distributed from Colombia and Venezuela through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, commonly inhabiting montane valleys, open slopes, and disturbed ground between 3,300 and 11,800 ft in elevation. This fast-growing perennial shrub is adapted to well-drained soils and varying moisture conditions, allowing it to establish quickly in cleared lands and along agricultural borders. The plant produces terminal clusters of small composite flower heads composed of numerous disk florets that mature into wind-dispersed seeds equipped with silky pappus bristles. In traditional Andean medicine, decoctions from aerial parts have been employed for anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and gastrointestinal purposes, with laboratory studies supporting certain bioactive properties in its extracts. Photographed in Ecuador.